Income gap

Household income estimates are used by the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the economic status of families in the U.S. (Income and earnings, 2025). These estimates are typically adjusted to account for inflation. The variables used to measure household income include:

• earnings in wages or salary, interest, dividends, or net rental income
• social security and supplemental social security income
• public assistance income
• retirement income
• other types of income

Even though household income estimates are steadily rising, the gap between household income in Lenawee County compared to both the state of Michigan and the United States is widening. The median household income in Lenawee County is estimated to have increased by 20.8% from 2019 to 2023 (see Figure 3). In those same years, median incomes rose 24.9% nationally and 24.5% at the state level (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023b). This means that Lenawee County’s median household income is growing at a slower rate than the state or nation, and this has ramifications for Lenawee County’s overall economic growth.